FROM CBD NEWS SOURCE
MANHATTAN, Kan. – A nine-day road trip in California to open the year and 30 home games – including three against in-state rival Kansas – highlight the 2012 baseball schedule released by head coach Brad Hill on Monday.
The Wildcats, who are coming off their third-straight NCAA Regional appearance, will play 16 games against teams that made the NCAA tournament a year ago, including six against College World Series participants.
“We were able to put together another competitive schedule that will challenge us from the beginning,” head coach Brad Hill said. “A nine-day road trip to open up the season will be a tough task, especially against the competition we will face in Cal State Bakersfield, San Diego, San Diego State and Oregon State. It doesn’t get any easier when you go through March, April and May against the always-tough Big 12 Conference and difficult midweek contests against Big Ten opponents Nebraska and Minnesota, as well as Missouri Valley foes Creighton and Missouri State. When you add in non-conference games against in-state rivals Wichita State and Kansas, it makes the schedule even tougher.
“We also assembled another solid 30-game home schedule,” Hill continued. “Our fans have been a big help to our success over the past few seasons, and we’re proud of the record number of season tickets sold last year. We appreciate the K-State family coming out to support us and look forward to playing in front of them yet again in 2012.”
The 2012 campaign begins with a seven-game, nine-day road trip to the Golden State beginning on Saturday, February 18, when K-State begins a three-game series at Cal State Bakersfield. It will be the third series between the two teams in the last two years as the Cats swept a two-game series in Bakersfield, Calif., last April before splitting a two-game home series with CSUB two weeks later.
Following its date with Cal State Bakersfield, Kansas State will travel 240 miles south to San Diego, Calif., to participate in the San Diego Tournament, an event in which the Wildcats went 3-1 in 2009. The Wildcats will face San Diego State on Thursday, Feb. 23, and Saturday, Feb. 25, at Tony Gwynn Stadium. On Friday, Feb. 24, the Cats will take on the University of San Diego at Cunningham Stadium, while they conclude their time in California on Sunday, Feb. 26, against 2011 NCAA Regional team Oregon State at Tony Gwynn Stadium.
Kansas State opens its home slate on Friday, March 2, with a three-game series against Pacific. The series marks the first games to be played on the new AstroTurf GameDay Grass 3D60 field laid at Tointon Family Stadium this summer. The Wildcats were a perfect 4-0 against the Tigers last year as they swept a three-game series at Pacific to open the 2011 season before winning a neutral-site contest the next week in Conway, S.C.
On Tuesday, March 6, the Wildcats will play their first of three games in 2012 against Nebraska as they travel to Lincoln, Neb., for an afternoon tilt. K-State returns to Lincoln for a game on March 27, before hosting the Huskers on April 3.
After its day trip to Nebraska in early March, K-State hosts Hartford for a four-game weekend series beginning on Friday, March 11. The Wildcats will then travel to Minneapolis, Minn., to take on the University of Minnesota, March 13-14, at the Metrodome for their first game at Minnesota since 1994. The series was originally scheduled for the 2011 season, but was delayed one year after the collapse of the Metrodome roof.
K-State opens up Big 12 Conference play on the road when it travels to College Station, Texas, to take on 2011 College World Series participant Texas A&M, March 16-18. After a home contest against Creighton on Tuesday, March 20, the Cats welcome another College World Series team in Texas, March 23-25.
The Wildcats will be back out on the road, March 30-April 1, as they play a three-game series at Oklahoma. That precludes a stretch of nine home games in the next 10 contests as the Wildcats host Nebraska on Tuesday, April 3, before a three-game series against Sacred Heart, April 5-7.
Following a game at Missouri State on Wednesday, April 11, the Cats host 2011 NCAA Regional team Baylor for three games beginning on Friday, April 13, before two games against Northern Colorado, April 17-18.
After a three-game series at Missouri, April 20-22, the Wildcats have two non-conference games against in-state opponents. On Tuesday, April 24, K-State plays host to Wichita State before traveling to Lawrence, Kan., the next day to take on Kansas in a non-conference tilt.
K-State will take on its final opponent that advanced to the NCAA Tournament a year ago when it hosts Oklahoma State, April 27-29.
The Wildcats conclude the non-conference portion of their schedule the next week when they make the return trip to Wichita State on Tuesday, May 1. K-State then returns home to take on Nebraska-Omaha, Friday, May 4, through Sunday, May 6.
The stretch run of the 2012 season begins on Friday, May 11, when the Wildcats host KU for a three-game home series. It marks the first time since 2001 that all three conference games are scheduled for the same stadium as the two schools have played a split-series over the last 10 years.
The regular season concludes with a three-game series at Texas Tech, Thursday through Saturday, May 17-19.
The 2012 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship will be held Wednesday, May 23, through Sunday, May 27, at RedHawks Field in Oklahoma City, Okla. The event will use a double-elimination format for the second-straight season.
Every home game throughout the 2012 season that is not picked up for television will be seen live across the globe in high-definition on K-StateHD.TV. Additionally, K-State Gameday, K-StateHD.TV’s pregame show featuring former Wildcat great Craig Wilson, will air 45 minutes prior to first pitch for every Saturday home conference game and the Wichita State contest on April 24.
A live audio broadcast of all 56 games can be heard either online for free at www.k-statesports.com and www.1350kman.com, over the air on SportsRadio 1350 KMAN or across the K-State Sports Network.
A complete radio and TV schedule will be announced at a later date.
Full 2012 Kansas State Schedule (PDF)
